


shining just for you

by asmileyoucouldbottle



Category: Renegades - Marissa Meyer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, DANNA GETS A SWORD, F/F, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIN ILY YOU FUNKY SWORD LESBIAN, Kinda, Sapphic, Stargazing, but then danna starts being sexc sword lady so she forgets abt the horses :'), danna teaches ruby how to use a sword and it's GAY, i don't think it does though??? eh, past-ruvissa is mentioned bc they're neat, rubell, ruby is a horsegirl for like two paragraphs, thb i forget if it swears so rip to the gen rating, the little scene in the pool is kinda inspired by that part in the half of it, title from mirrorball by taylor swift, wlw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 22:07:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29616132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asmileyoucouldbottle/pseuds/asmileyoucouldbottle
Summary: “I’m getting a little cramped, what do you say we go on a little adventure?” Danna jabbed her thumb in the direction of the door they were in front of, and Ruby’s voice lifted with excitement as she repeated, “adventure?”The door pushed open, and Ruby cast a furtive look over her shoulder.Danna winked, and if anything, the little swoop of her stomach in response sold Ruby. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back before it’s over.”*Ruby's a lady, and Danna's the daughter of a stable hand. When they meet at a party, Danna's offers to take Ruby on a little "adventure," which leads to bonding over swords, a horse ride through the woods, and stargazing in a pool, all while Ruby begins to feel her feelings for the girl grow.
Relationships: (mentioned) - Relationship, Danna Bell | Monarch/Ruby Tucker | Red Assassin, Narcissa Cronin/Ruby Tucker | Red Assassin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	shining just for you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [my_little_nightmare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/my_little_nightmare/gifts).



“I’m not wearing that.” 

“Lady Tucker,  _ please… _ ”

Ruby stared at the deep wine-colored gown that she was supposed to be getting into, distaste drawing her expressions tight as she eyed the cinched waist.

“I’m going to  _ die _ .”

The handmaiden fixed her with a stern glare. “You mustn’t use such crude language.” She chided as Ruby fell back on to her bed with a dramatic sigh.

“Can’t I just wear the green number in the back of the closet? The one with the gold trimming?” 

The nurse pursed her lips before heading to the closet. After a moment of digging around, she returned with the green dress in hand. 

She held it up to Ruby with a squint and a sigh. “This is far too common for tonight!”

“It has literal gold thread on the trim, how is it  _ common. _ ” Ruby turned into her pillow, aware that she was acting like somewhat of a petulant child. But this was also her second society ball in a week- a record she never wanted to set. The stuffy people of her town made her want to scream, and Oscar, her only friend, was out of town for the month. And thus, she was stuck entertaining people she barely liked and dancing with strangers whose hands tended to stray a little too high or low from her waist. 

“You are wearing the red dress, and that is final.” 

With a groan, Ruby rolled off the bed.

***

The place actually looked nice, and there were only half the amount of people and double the table of refreshments from last time, so Ruby figured it was only worth about half of her complaining. If she was going to suffer from people, at least she’d be able to have some chocolate.

But not that many chocolates. Ruby caught a glance of herself in a window reflection, giving her pencil waist a glower. She’d been right about the dying part- the dress was an inch away from suffocating - but Ruby was pretty sure she could spare enough room for a small bite or two.

If she was able to slip away from her parents that is.

Which turned out to be considerably easier than she thought. The second her parents had seen the Clark’s they’d gone over to greet them, and didn’t expect Ruby to come along. As nice as the parents were, Ruby had never really gotten on with their daughter Genissa. After the two of them had accidentally upturned an entire three foot platter of cookies in a scrabble one year, they were expected to stay a “safe distance” away from each other. No matter what anyone said about Ruby “starting it” by giving the first shove, Genissa had it coming.

And thus, the perfect chance to slip away. Her parents would be annoyed that she hadn’t attempted civility and said hello, but they would also be somewhat relieved. 

Ruby slipped into a doorway, still looking over her shoulder to make sure the indent in the wall was shielding her from her parents.

“Well, how do you do?”

Ruby jumped and spun, almost hitting her head on the wall.

Beside her was a girl she’d never seen before, one with rich dark skin and a loose blouse, who was casually leaning against the doorway. Ruby couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen a woman wearing pants, if ever.

She then realized she’d been asked a question, so she forced herself to stop staring. “Uh- excuse me?”

The woman’s lips quirked in amusement. “I said, how do you do?”

“Oh, I’m um- good.” Was she… flustered? 

“I didn’t think I’d see anyone else hiding in this particular doorway.”

Ruby sank a little bit in relief. At least the woman wasn’t going to force her out (yet,) or worse, steal her chocolate.

“I could say the same. And who says I’m hiding?”

The girl quirked an eyebrow, and gestured to the small space. “So you just like spending time alone in cramped spots during parties?”

Ruby was surprised with a little laugh bursting out of her. “Not particularly. But it’s better than associating with everyone in this dress. Or at all for that matter.”

The stranger looked her up and down, and Ruby’s cheeks flared. 

“You do look great, but also incredibly pained.” 

Ruby smiled, not quite having enough oxygen for a laugh. “Oh, the things we women do for beauty. I’m Ruby by the way.” The space seemed a little too small for curtsying, so Ruby settled for a handshake.

It was a man’s greeting, but as the stranger took her hand firmly, it seemed fitting. “Danna.”

“So what are you doing in this particular doorway?”

The girl- Danna- paused. “Well, my dad’s a stablehand and my mom’s a maid, so I never really get invited to these things, and I was curious.”

“Trust me, you’re not missing much. At least, not usually. It’s when Sir Cronin gets drunk and starts talking about adventures in stories as if they happened to him that it gets interesting.”

Danna snickered as Ruby reenacted one of Sir Cronin’s skits, and her heart seemed to bloom at the sound. 

“I’m getting a little cramped, what do you say we go on a little adventure?” Danna jabbed her thumb in the direction of the door they were in front of, and Ruby’s voice lifted with excitement as she repeated, “adventure?”

The door pushed open, and Ruby cast a furtive look over her shoulder. 

Danna winked, and if anything, the little swoop of her stomach in response sold Ruby. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back before it’s over.” 

***

“Where are we going?” Ruby’s grip on her skirt was starting to slip, and she was really envying Danna’s pants. The night dew was soaking it, and she wondered how mad her parents would be if she took a tiny bit off the bottom… 

“Surprise, but we’re making a quick stop to the stables first to grab a horse.”

“A  _ horse?!”  _ Ruby grabbed Danna’s shoulders to whirl her around. “I’ve always wanted to ride a horse.” She beamed, and Danna laughed. 

“Well today’s your lucky day.” They ducked into the stables, and Ruby immediately went to pet the nose of one of the animals. It nuzzled her back, and she turned to give Danna, who was watching her with a small smile, a huge grin. 

Danna pursed her lips as she went through saddles on the wall. “Small problem.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It looks like Lady Clark borrowed our last side saddle.

Rather than deflate, this relieved Ruby. This was the excuse she’d been looking for.

“Do you have anything sharp, perhaps a knife or dagger?” Ruby asked Danna, who looked somewhat surprised as she reached into her sheath and pulled out a sword.

Ruby couldn’t believe she’d missed this detail before, but she held out her hand as Danna handed it to her. With swift and confident motions, she held out her skirt and sliced it up to her knees. Danna watched her with something like approval and perhaps… admiration?

Kicking the fabric to the side, Ruby slung the sword over her shoulder with a cocky grin. “Problem solved.”

“I’d be a little bit more careful with that-” Danna cautioned, but Ruby waved her off, assuming a pose with both hands on the hilt and blade out. She struck the air with a “hyah!”

“I’ve always wanted one of these.” She told Danna, twirling and swinging haphazardly. The shiny weapon enamoured her as she jabbed forward, one of her feet getting tangled in the discarded fabric. Her balance upset, she slipped to the side, and Danna ran forward. She took hold of the hilt with one hand, the other coming to rest on her waist. Danna’s fingers wrapped around Ruby’s, and she froze, heart pounding at the contact. 

“Like this.” Danna took the sword and swung, her form precise and perfect. Ruby’s jaw nearly dropped as Danna showed her some more motions, and she had a feeling that she was showing off. And she looked  _ amazing.  _ Graceful and powerful at the same time, Ruby was sure she was swooning.

“Here.” Next thing she knew, the sword was back in Ruby’s hands, and Danna had wrapped her arms around her back. They were pressed up against each other, and Ruby’s heart started to fly a little erratically.

They lifted the sword, and Danna guided Ruby as she swung it to the left, adjusting her arm positions and legs. Every touch and word uttered right beside her ear just confused Ruby more as they went through the basics. Her arms felt like jelly as she lifted it, and her legs- bared to the cold night- weren’t much better.

She also felt a little weak from lack of oxygen.

“I think I need to get this corset off.” Ruby stepped back and away from Danna, who blinked. 

“Oh right.” There was a pause, before she continued hesitantly, “Do you-uh- need… help? With that?”

“A little.” Ruby admitted, heat rising to her cheeks. She backed away a few steps and turned around. “Could you please unbutton this?”

She was glad Danna couldn’t see her flaming cheeks as the buttons popped and Ruby stepped out of the dress. The corset was on top of her underclothes, so it wasn’t as if she was naked, but she still felt… seen.

Their fingers brushed as Danna helped her untie the laces, and whether it was lack of air, how late it was, hunger, or just straight up attraction, Ruby was feeling faint again. 

When the damned thing was finally off, Ruby took her first full breath of the night.

“Great  _ skies. _ ” She exclaimed, massaging her rib cage. She turned to face Danna to thank her, while hurriedly scrambling back into her dress.

Danna cleared her throat, looking away, cheeks a bit brighter. She walked away to a horses stall, and before Ruby knew it, they were sitting together, pushed together, on a saddle tromping through the woods. 

  
  


Ruby kept her hands tight on Danna's wasit, resisting the urge to reach out and snag leaves from the branches they were passing under. The horse was going at a trotting pace, and the saddle was a little small for two. But with a little squishing and blushing, they made it work.

  
  
  
  
  


Danna turned to Ruby with a twinkling smile. "Want to go a little faster?"

Ruby returned the look with eagerness. " _ Yes _ ." 

With a whoop, Danna kicked her heels into the horse's side. They lurched backwards as the horse took off, and the wind rushed through Ruby's hair, making it billow behind her as the clip came free. She was laughing with exhilaration, her chin tucked into the crook of Danna's chin and shoulder. The trees were coming and going with alarming speed, but Ruby relished in it.

"You don't quite get this in a carriage." She managed to breath, and felt Danna's huff of laughter under her. Ruby glowed at the response, and tightened her hold on the lady’s waist. Despite the chill of the wind, she felt warm.

The horse began to slow, and a pang of disappointment hit her. 

"Are we almost there?" She was reluctant to loosen her hold, even though there was no need for her to be quite this close or tight without the speed.

"You sound like my little cousin on a trip." Danna teased, and Ruby shoved her shoulder playfully. "But yes."

Ruby wondered if it was socially acceptable to rest your head on the shoulder of a woman you just met. In all fairness, she stopped following the rules of society when she kissed Sir Cronin's visiting grand-daughter Narcissa in the empty art gallery last winter. It was a short relationship, a couple of secret rendezvous and kisses, but nothing that lasted past her visit. Ruby still thought about her gold rimmed glasses, clear grey eyes, and rose petal gowns standing under the gilded masterpieces sometimes.

So she did it. The sudden adrenaline of riding was wearing off, so with a slight yawn, Ruby tilted her head and rested it on the shoulder in front of her.

Danna stiffened underneath her, and Ruby drew back immediately. 

"Sorry I just-" Danna cut her off with a soft look as she turned her head. 

"I was just surprised, that's all." Something like regret crossed her expression as she pulled the horse to a stop. "But regardless, we're here."

With a muffled sound of disappointment, Ruby unwound her arms from Danna's waist, and the girl hopped off. 

As soon as her feet hit the ground, Danna lifted her hand to help Ruby down. Heart fluttering, Ruby extended her hand, clasping her fingers in Danna's dark and calloused ones. Ruby knew that hers weren't particularly lady-like or soft either, as she'd been practicing martial arts and hand to hand combat since she'd been a toddler. She was much better at packing a punch than threading a needle- much to her mother's despair and father's delight.

Hand steadying on Danna's, Ruby hopped down, bending at the knees slightly to absorb the fall. Her feet gave a worrying bend under her as the heels on her shoes almost tipped her over. 

Danna's other hand came to steady Ruby's hip, and she once again found herself slightly faint at the touch.

The charged moment held, but a twig behind them snapped - most likely under the foot of some creature. They both started, and Danna's hands immediately jumped away from Ruby.

"Right." Ruby murmured to focus herself. "These have to go." She leaned down and pulled off her shoes before tossing them into the underbrush with flair.

Danna raised an eyebrow, eyeing the bush they disappeared into. "Are you sure you can just... leave those?"

Ruby opened her mouth, before pausing. "Actually... probably not." Dragging her feet, she retrieved the shoes and placed them in the saddle bag with a huff. So much for drama. 

"And your feet?" 

"My feet?" Ruby's brow drew in confusion, before realizing what Danna meant. "Oh! I've been romping around and sparring in bare feet forever, I'll be fine."

"You spar?" Danna visibly brightened and Ruby placed a self-conscious hand on the back of her neck. Most women thought she was... odd for sparring.

But then again, didn't Danna wear mens clothes and wield a sword like most women wielded embroidery needles?

"I've been working in hand to hand and with knives since I was seven, after there was an attack on our village and I was pretty badly injured. My father wanted me to know how to protect myself so it couldn't happen again, and I learned I was much more adept at kicking than mending."

Danna was smiling, her whole face lit up. "Me too! I mean, I'm better at fighting than "women's tasks." My uncle never really pressed the issue, just let me do what I wanted and borrow anything from his oddly expansive collection of weapons. Turns out, butterfly swords are much easier to hold than knitting needles."

With a relating groan, Ruby lifted her hands. "Ugh, I know right! Knitting needles are just-" She made a face, and Danna burst out laughing. Ruby soon joined her, and they continued to make cracks about everything “lady-like” from heeled shoes to embroidery thread. Light bloomed in Ruby’s chest as her gaze caught Danna’s. She’d never met someone who was so much like her, or that she felt seen by. 

Once they'd quieted, Danna took Ruby's hand and led her through a little pass. Pushing away leafy branches, the pass opened into a clearing with a small waterfall which poured into a swimming hole and creek. The little cove was overshadowed by leafy trees, and the first stars of night were just able to be seen through the gaps, along with a bright almost full moon. 

Ruby gasped aloud, spinning to admire it all. Danna was watching her with a fond smile, her hand still in Ruby's.

"Want to know the best part?" Danna was heading to the water's edge, pulling Ruby along with her. A surprised laugh bubbled out of Ruby as her bare toes touched the surface. It was only a tad colder than lukewarm, due to it being late summer.

Danna took Ruby's opposite hand in hers as well, so she was leading Ruby into the water while facing her. She lightheartedly protested at first, but as they locked eyes, an unbidden blush rose to Ruby's cheeks. Compelled, she followed, and was surprised to see it matched on Danna.

Soon they were up to their knees, the bottom of Ruby's dress just hitting the water. A pang of doubt flashed through her, but as she met Danna's challenging and inviting eyes, Ruby gave a sudden grin. Springing forwards suddenly, she used her weight and both hands to push Danna backwards into the water along with her.

Danna yelped with surprise as they both splashed into the pool. The water sent a ripple of shock up Ruby and her head broke. As she peeled her eyes open, gasping, she saw Danna's face inches from her own. Her dark eyes were mesmerizing, drawing Ruby in…

Until Danna repaid her favor by splashing her directly in the face. Ruby reeled back with a shriek, but it dissolved into laughter. 

“Oh, I’ll get you for that.” She swore, reaching forward once more. Soon they were pushing each other back and forth as Danna started to chase her around, both of them screaming something about revenge.

"No fair, I have a wet skirt!" They’d strayed into the shallows, but her legs were still heavy as she ran in knee-high water. As if to prove her point, her legs got wrapped up and Ruby fell, Danna landing atop her. 

Danna’s arms wrapped around Ruby and she pinned her arms behind her back. She thrashed, but Danna’s grip was steel. Hesitating, Ruby waited until she felt Danna's grip slacken with a cheer of victory before rolling away. Breaking the hold, she used her element of surprise to jump up and at Danna. She almost reached her, but the deadweight of her sodden skirt pulled her back down as the other girl stepped back.

Popping into a crouch to get eye level with Ruby, Danna raised an eyebrow. "Looks like you didn't even need my help to lose."

"You’re terrible." Ruby scowled and flopped onto her back, floating as she looked up at the quickly darkening sky. "Good game." She muttered begrudgingly, and heard Danna chuckle beside her. There was a shuffle, and out of the corner of her eye, Ruby saw Danna moving to float on her own back.

The touch of Danna reaching out to take her hand surprised her, but she found it surprisingly welcome. Properly entwining their fingers, they drifted, looking up at the sky.

There was no sound but the falling of water, and even that sounded muffled with Ruby's halfway under water. Her pulse echoed, pounding in her ears, and Ruby traced a little circle on Danna's hand.

Minutes passed by in peace, and Ruby's thoughts wandered to the amazing girl beside her. 

"It's getting late." Danna broke the silence, regret lacing her tone. Ruby's heart sank as her train of thought rapidly changed from the beautiful sword girl next to her to her parents.

With a sigh, Ruby sat up, and Danna joined her. Danna let go of her hand as she rushed over to the horse, returning in a moment with a blanket around her shoulder and another in her hand,

Ruby gratefully smiled as Danna draped the blanket over shoulders. She turned to face the other girl, who tucked a damp strand of hair behind Ruby's ear. 

Carried by the light that simple touch had given her, Ruby tipped forward on her toes and pressed a small kiss to Danna's cheek. 

"Thank you for bringing me here." She said, hushed and pulse fluttering. She wondered if the moon illuminated her furiously red cheeks. 

Wordlessly, Danna reached up and took her golden butterfly pin out of her hair. Moonlight flickered in the pin’s reflection as she tied Ruby's hair back, securing it with the pin. Ruby reached up to touch it, having forgotten that her own fell out on the ride. 

Danna’s breath caught, and pressed a whisper kiss to Ruby's temple. Her heart nearly stopped at the brief contact. It seemed like a promise of something more, light as the butterfly the pin was modeled for.

"Maybe we should do this again sometime?" Danna's question hung, and Ruby knew that meant much more than just the swimming hole.

"I would love that." Sharing a secret smile, they walked to and mounted the horse. As Ruby once again wrapped her arms around Danna’s waist, her imagination ran wild at all the places she wanted to see, adventures she wanted to go on, and stories she wanted to share with this strong and beautiful lady she was eager to know more about. 

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIN <3333 ILYSMMMMM


End file.
